Next week, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will start constructing a dedicated right turn lane on Route 3 (Main Street) onto Route 688 (James B. Jones Memorial Highway) within Kilmarnock’s town limits in Lancaster County. The $1.1 million project aims to enhance safety, reduce congestion, and improve mobility.
The new lane will be built from eastbound Route 3 to Route 688 and is designed to accommodate truck traffic. This adjustment is necessary as through trucks must use Route 688 due to a restriction on a portion of Route 3 in Kilmarnock.
Graham Concrete, LLC, based in Richmond, has been contracted for this project. Starting Monday, March 3, crews will begin mobilizing, staging equipment, and installing temporary work zone signs. If weather permits, the work is expected to be completed by June 2025.
A recent VDOT traffic count indicated that approximately 11,000 vehicles pass through this intersection daily.
Lancaster County submitted an application for this project under Virginia’s SMART SCALE transportation funding program. SMART SCALE was established to select suitable transportation projects for funding while ensuring efficient use of tax dollars. Projects meeting needs identified in VTrans—the state’s long-range multi-modal transportation plan—are scored based on criteria such as safety, congestion reduction, accessibility, land use compatibility, economic development potential, and environmental impact.
Once scored and prioritized by these metrics, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) uses this information to select projects for funding effectively.
For more details on how funded SMART SCALE projects are progressing toward construction stages, visit the SMART SCALE Dashboard.
